Hickenlooper, Bennet Introduce Bill to Combat Pine Beetle Outbreak

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Michael Bennet introduced the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act to mitigate the growing mountain pine beetle outbreak in Colorado.

"Record drought, devastating wildfires, and a new outbreak of mountain pine beetles are pushing Colorado forests to the brink," said Hickenlooper. "If we want to protect forest health, we need an all-in approach that puts resources where they're needed and brings partners together at every level. Protecting our forests means protecting our communities."

"As we face extreme drought and historic high temperatures, Colorado must work together to keep our forests healthy," said Bennet. "This legislation will provide new tools and resources for partners at every level to work together to address the growing outbreak and protect communities on Colorado's Front Range."

Colorado is facing record drought, creating perfect conditions for the spread of the mountain pine beetle in Ponderosa pine forests across the state. Recent surveys from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Colorado State Forest Service show a large and growing outbreak of mountain pine beetle on Colorado's Front Range.

While pine beetles and wildfire are part of the natural ecology of Colorado forests, climate conditions and decades of fire suppression have made this outbreak severe, increasing hazardous fire conditions and putting watersheds and recreation at risk. The outbreak is especially concerning given its close proximity to highly populated areas.

The Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act would:

• Provide grant opportunities to local partners working in coordination with the Forest Service to mitigate mountain pine beetle threats on National Forest System land.

• Create a Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response Program within the USFS.

• Help prevent, monitor, and respond to mountain pine beetle outbreaks through cooperative agreements with states directed by the Forest Service, providing localities with increased resources and a framework that focuses on responding to developing outbreaks before they cause widespread and extensive damage.

"Colorado is taking swift action to combat the impacts of the mountain pine beetle outbreak, and we need strong federal partnerships to protect our communities, forests, critical water supplies, and infrastructure," said Governor Jared Polis. "This bill would strengthen state opportunities and partnerships and bring additional resources to high-priority needs, helping to protect our communities, forests, critical water supplies, and infrastructure. I thank Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and Congresswoman Pettersen for working together to support our efforts to combat the Mountain Pine Beetle, protect Colorado communities, and help us meet this growing challenge with the urgency it demands."

"Colorado's forests have faced years of extreme drought leading to an extensive mountain pine beetle outbreak along Colorado's front range in areas with some of the highest wildfire risk and population densities." said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. "The introduced legislation, the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act, will enable close coordination between federal, state, Tribal, and local governments and provide critical funding resources to get on the ground work complete. We appreciate Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper for leading the introduction of these bills in the United States Senate and we also extend gratitude to Representative Pettersen for leading this effort in the U.S. House. It's vital we work together and are coordinated in our responses to reduce the impact of the mountain pine beetle outbreak with a focus on protecting property, reducing wildfire risk, and restoring our forests so future generations can enjoy our iconic ponderosa pine forests."

"Mountain pine beetles are a natural part of Colorado's forests, but the current outbreak is affecting some of our state's most populated areas," said Matt McCombs, Colorado State Forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service. "Forests in these areas already have a high wildfire risk, and an abundance of beetle-killed trees can further threaten homes, watersheds and recreation areas and complicate emergency response. We've been here before in Colorado, so this is not cause for panic. It is cause for vigilance, preparation and action. That preparation starts with acknowledging that mountain pine beetles don't recognize ownership boundaries, and neither can our response. I am committed to working alongside our federal partners to address this outbreak and want to thank Senator Bennet, Senator Hickenlooper, and Representative Pettersen for their continued leadership and dedication to the future of Colorado's forests. These bills invest in the partnerships, workforce and wood utilization capacity needed to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk and support Colorado communities."

Hickenlooper believes Colorado needs an all-in approach to combat the increased risk of wildfire across Colorado, including pine beetle outbreaks. Hickenlooper's bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which would strengthen wildfire resilience by improving forest management, supporting fire-safe communities, and streamlining approvals for projects that protect communities and ecosystems from extreme wildfires, is awaiting a final vote on the Senate floor.

U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen and Joe Neguse led companion legislation for The Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

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